La vergne h



Febc 7, 1950 LA VERGNE, HQWILLIAMS 2,495,636

ELAPSED TIME RECORDER WITH STRIP PRINTING TYPE Filed June 30, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet l STRAIGHT TIME HGURS RATE- 70 VALUE- OVERTIME HOURS RATE A05 VALUE- TOTAL- Gtorneg Feb. 7, 1950 LA vr-:RGNE H. WILLIAMS 2,496,586

ELAPSED TIME RECORDER wTTH STRIP PRINTING TYPE Filed June 30, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Snventor LA VERGNE l/V/LL/fms.

(Ittorneg Feb 7, 1950 LA VERGNE H. WILLIAMS 2,496,686

ELAPSED TIME RECORDER WITH STRIP PRNTING TYPE 73 La VERQNE H VV/LM/ms.

Cttomeg Patented Feb. 7, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELAPSED TIME .RECORDER WITI-ISTRIP PRINTING TYPE `Connecticut Application June 30, 1945, Serial No. 602,457

10 Claims. l

This invention relates yto time recorders and more particularly to time clocks.

The'primary object of my invention is to provide ka time recorder which is adapted to record the yelapsed time between a rst and a second recording operation, performed relatively at 'the starting and stopping time of the worker, and also to provide a novel method for recording said expired time.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a time recorder which is adapted to record the starting time, the stopping time and, in addition thereto, the elapsed time between the starting and the stopping, or the In and the Out times.

Further objects and advantages oi this invention will be more clearly understood from the following description and from the accompanying drawings in Which- Fig. 1 is a plan view of a time card used in connection with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatical plan View in elevation, with parts broken away, showing the stamping and card positioning mechanism used in my invention.

Fig. 3 is a side view, in section on line 3-3 of Fig. 5, of the time recording mechanism embodying my invention.

Fig. 4 is a bottom view, partly in section, showing the stamping pads and the card positioning means used in said mechanism.

Fig. 5 is a iront view in section on line 5--5 oi Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a fragmental plan View, partly in section, of the positioning mechanism.

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic View showing the electric circuit used for controlling the operation of said mechanism.

Fig. 8 is a front view, in elevation, showing the card receiving and positioning slots at the iront of my improved recorder.

As illustrated in the drawings, my invention provides a recording mechanism which may be contained in a suitable casing 5 having a door, or cover, 6 and a clock 1 with a suitable timing mechanism contained within the casing 8.

The time recording mechanism, as shown, may include printing type, preferably carried on a plurality of links joined into a chain 9 and supported upon a table I in a suitable frame II which may be mounted in the casing in any desired manner, ysuch as by means of screws I2.

The said mechanism may also include a suitable type wheel I3 lhaving type for printing the months .of the year and'another type Wheel I4 having ytype `for :printing the :days of the month. These wheelsmay be mounted within the frame II in any suitablesnanner and the positioning thereof cmay lbe controlled either by the recording mechanism or byhand.

.An .inking ribbon, indicated at I5, is provided over that portion of type @chain '.9 which is on the table IIJ and the; said ribbon extends from a reel kI6,.over.,the vsu-pportingroll I1, over the table Ill,K over thezsupporting roll I8 and onto the reel I9. If desired, .a suitable ribbon winding mechanism, whichmay `include a drive shaft I9.a with a rachet vwheel 20 and-a pawl 2| on a lever .22, maybe usedpfor ,moving said inking ribbon from one reel tothe other over the type 9 and the type vwheels lf3 :and I4. The shaft I9-a may be fshiftedendwise, as commonly done inttypewriters :orthe like, for reversing the direction of travelof said ribbon after the winding reel ,has become `full and `the ribbon is yto be wound :back onto the .empty reel.

I provide a'plurality of stamping hammers 23 and 24, over said type chain lil, type wheels I3 and I4 and inking ribbon I5, which are adapted to press a suitable time card 2.5 against the ribbon for recording impressions'on said card7 from the type on the chain :9 fand Wheels I3 and I4. The hammer 23is carried on a .double lever 26 having sa hub 2:1 bymeans of vwhich it is pivotally mounted upon `a supporting shaft 28. The said hammer 23 has =a series of resilient rpads mounted thereon .which include'the pad 29 for striking over the elapsed time row of type on the chain 9, the pad 3U for striking over the day number type' Wheel I4, the pad 3| vvfor striking over the month type wheel I3, and the pad 32 for striking over the In yor the star-ting portion of the type o'n the said chain 9 andatable III. The hammer 24 carries -the pad 133 for striking over the elapsed time indicating pointer 134 (Fig. 2) which is carried .on .the ychain =9,.fand the said .pad '33 has an enlarged Vportion `v35 for also striking over the Out portion of the type on the chain 9 and table I0.

The hammer =23 isvpreferably operated by a solenoid 31 and `therlfiammer A24 is operated by a similar solenoid 36, las :will be more fully here inafter described.

In order'that the time card25 may be properly positioned =for each consecutiveday, -or each con secutive job to-'be ,recorded on-said time card, I provide a suitable cutting mechanism having a 'frame 138 1 mounted upon thetable I0 and a plungerr39 vertically movablein said frame and havingavcutting .endllll .for/cutting off a portion of the card advance a leading edge portion thereof which provides an abutment on said card.

The said plunger 39 is normally retained in raised position by means of a spring 4| and is actuated by means of an extension 432, on the hammer 24, which engages the top of the projection 43 on the cutting end 4U, upon the operation of said hammer, and forces the plunger into a cutting die portion 44 on the frame 38; the said hammer 24, being pivotally mounted uponthe shaft 28 by means of levers 45-45 having hubs 46-46 secured to said shaft 28 to rotate there# with. One of said hubs has an extension 41`for operating the lever 22 through a connecting .bar 48 and actuating the inking ribbon forwarding mechanism with each operation of the said hammer 24.

The type chain 9 is maintained in motion by means of a toothed wheel 49 which is in mesh with suitable indentations (not shown) on the bottom of the chain and is driven by the clock mechanism in the case 8 through a sprocket 59 on a shaft which extends from the clock mechanism, a chain 52, a sprocket 53, a reducing sprocket 54, and a chain 55 which is in mesh with a sprocket 56 on the shaft 51 on which the said toothed wheel 49 is mounted.

At the front of the casing 5, I provide an escutcheon plate 58 which has upper and lower slots 6| `and 62, respectively, extending across the same for guiding the time card 25 into proper position in the recording mechanism, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3. The said escutcheon plate has an inwardly projecting funnel portion 59 forming an elongated slot which extends across the plate and is divided by a plate 60 to provide the upper slot 6| and the lower slot 62.

In order to accurately position the time card 25 within the recording mechanism, the plunger 39 is provided with a stop 63, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 6, which is engaged by the abutment 64 provided by the leading edge portion that is advanced on the time card each time that the above described cutting mechanism is operated when the card is inserted in the Out slot for a recording operation. Y

For controlling the operation of the said recording mechanism, there is provided an electric circuit which includes an electric switch, indicated at 65, that is adjacent to the stop 63 and is adapted to be operated by the leading edge 64 of the time card as will be hereinafter described. The said circuit further includes switches 66 and 61 for closing the circuit through one of the solenoids 36 or 31, in accordance with whichever of the slots 6| or 62 the card 25 is inserted into.

As will be clearly seen in Fig. 2 of the drawings, there is also provided, upon the table I0, an In type 68 with an adjacent pointer type 69, which are located at one end of the table. Both of said In and Out types and their adjacent pointer types are located in line with the month type, on the wheel |3, and the Day type, on the wheel |4, which project through respective slots |3--a and 4-a in said table.

As will also be clearly seen from Fig. 2 of the drawings, the type chain 9 is provided with a nrst line of printing type which includes the graduations 12 running along the side of the chain 9. These graduations denote hours and tenths of hours and are numbered from one to twelve in a direction corresponding to the direction of travel of said chain, which is indicated by the arrow 13. Along the other side of said chain and adjacent to the indicating arrows 69 and 1|,

there is provided a second line of printing type including graduations 14 which are numbered from one to twelve in a direction opposite to the direction of the numbering of the row of type which includes the graduations 12. Also, the said rows of graduations 12 and 14 are so numbered that the numbers 12 in each of said rows are in register and an elapsed time pointer 34 is provided on the type chain adjacent the number 12 in the row 12.

The clock mechanism, in the case 8, may be of any suitable type but a synchronous clock mechanism which is electrically driven is preferably used. Assuming that said clock is in operation,

the shaft 5| thereof will rotate the toothed Wheel 49 so as to continuously move the type chain 9 upon the table I0 in the direction of the arrow shown at 13 in Fig. 2 and in synchronism with the clock mechanism so that the said chain will register the time of the day on the position of the row of type 14 and the pointers 69 and 1|, in accordance with the time shown upon the clock 1. Although it is preferred that such a clock should show the time of the day, this is not necessary since the time need not be shown on the clock and the time mechanism within the case 8 may still move the type chain 9 so as to register the correct time of the day at the pointers 69 and 1|.

The operation for recording time upon the time card 25 is as follows: i

Starting to work with a new time card, which will be notched with its leading edge 64 at the position of the dotted line 1'5, the operator inserts the card in an inverted position into the slot 6|,

. which is identified as the In slot, for a first recording operation. As the card passes through the funnel portion 59, it will close the switch 66 and continue moving inwardly until the leading edge 64, now at 15 in Fig. l strikes the top 63. At this time, the said leading edge will close the switch 65 so that the circuit will flow from the source of electric current indicated at 16, through the conductor 11, the switch 65, the conductor 18, the switch 66, and the conductor 19 to the solenoid 31, and from said solenoid back through the conductor to the other side of the source 16. This will cause the solenoid 31 to become energized and operate the hammer 23 by pushing downwardly on the lever 26 against the tension of a spring 8|. This operation of the hammer 23 will cause the stamping pads 29, 30, 3| Iand 32 to strike upon the corresponding portions of the time card 25, in the rst or lowermost zone dated April 20, and press said card downwardly upon the inking ribbon |5 over the portions of the type on the chain 9 which include only the elapsed time row of graduations 12, a short portion of the row of type 14 opposite the type In, the indicating pointer 69 and the date type at the tops of the type wheels I3 and |4 and cause said portion of the type to be imprinted upon the card. The portion of the row of type 12 which is imprinted on the card at this time, as indicated at 12' in Fig. 1 will provide a preliminary impression for the elapsed time computation which will be recorded on the card at the end of the work period, or when work on the job is stopped, as will be hereinafter described. The portion of the row of type 14 and the pointer 69 which is also imprinted at this time, as indicated at 14 and 69 in Fig. l, indicates the actual time of the day that the card was stamped by being inserted in the In slot 6|, at the beginning of the work period, or at the start of the job.

It is to be remembered that the type chain 9,

amines 1 beingacontinuouslyiin meshf'withthe clock 1,.-is also continuously :in yregister withthe lactual `time oiz'the day; therefore., the portion 12 of the preliminary impression :made uponvthe Acard..25 at ithe'beginning of the work period provides a scale which correspondsto thefparticular starting, or l-In,"time and on which willbezindicated the elapsedtime when the card is. again stampedfat the end of the fwork period.

*It 'is lalso to be noted that, .at the times `when the 4impressions 12 :are made upon the fcard; the pointer'34 on the type chain t9 Ais inthe .zero position opposite .the hour twelve .of the impression; lbut'fthe impression ofthe Js-a'id pointer iis not made upon the card 'at those itimes.

During 'the period' betweenithe In :and Out stamping operations upon l)the Acard, 'the r`type chainB fwill continue its movement in# the direction of fthe arrow' 13 and 'carry the ,pointer :34 towards `and Ain the direction .of 'hour A"numbers (1),-(2), etc. Therefore, it `lwill Lbe seen that, after lthe preliminary impression 12 is made upon the card, the pointer 34 will continue to travel with the type chain '9 so that it'moves with Arelation "to the said impression and vthereby compute the time as it lelapses.

Wheny the job :is complete, or vat the Iend of the worklperiod ythe worker inserts the card in the fOut-s1ot62., for the secondfand iinal recording operation, land this causes 'the card to close `the switch 61. leading -zedge 64 closes .the switch ..55 and, engages thestop vt3. The current will then :iiow from the sourceligthroughvthe conductor 11, the vswitch 65, the .fconductorllf and the switch-61., tothe lsolenoid 13B, lfrom which .the 4said :current will flow backthrough the conductor 80 to the other-side of :the source 1G. The solenoid 36 will then become energized .and rock the-lever of .the hammer 2:'4 downwardly, `causing the pad 3l-and theenlarged portion 35 thereof to strike the card over the portions of the type .on the chain .9 which include the elapsed time pointer 34, a portion of the row yof type 14 adjacent to the type Out, as at 10, -and the .Out .pointer .type 1|. The recording operation on the card is ,now complete .and the impression :34' of the pointer Itype 34 will indicate, upon theimpression 12', the elapsed .time in rhours and tenths of hours,.the In time and the Out time, as well as the month and the day, and thus providing a ,complete rrecord which can be used;at the finish of n job or week, for quickly computing the total hours worked by `the perso-n having the particular card.

kAt vthe same time that thehammer'24 is operated for vthe Out impression upon the card, the extension 42 on .said hammer will strike the projection 43 on the plunger 38 and move said plunger downwardly against the tension of the spring 4l and cause the cutter 40 to cut 4olf a portion o'f the margin of the ycard `following the leading edge 64. Thus a piece of the ycard will be cut oil `at each Out operation, as'indicated bythe dotted lines at 84 Yso that,at-the next In oper-ation, the next line `for the card will be positioned 'for stamping on the following day. -It vis to 4be understood that the Acard, vas originally provided, isr notched in the margin upto the dotted line f15 lso as to properly position it `y`for the iirst In-operation.

It is also to be understood that, -after either solenoid .36 or 31 vhas operated to `forcerits yrespective stamping hammer 23 or 24 downwardly, and-'fthecircuit has been broken by'fthe opening `As the card is .moved inwardly, the

6 ofcthexswitch 65, the zresp'ective spring 8| 'will return f its :solenoid :plunger .to :its raised :position and thereby :return the Hhammer to its normal position.

From the above description, it will be understood thatfhaveprovided a time recording device, or .time clock,I which 'will `accurately record, upon a :suitable 4'car.d,fthe starting time, .the stopping time, and the in-betweencelapsed time, all 'with a V`recording operation `which requires only that the cardbeinsertedin'acertain slot at the beginning of a 1fperiodfrand :in another :slot at the end of the period.

v` The time card,-as1.shown in Fig. 1, may be in any desired form 'and may be made as long as necessary "inforderto accommodate the number of recordings,-thefnumber of jobs, or the number of iperiodsawhichare 'to .be stamped thereon.

It will .abe-.further understood that, since the row oftype 14 is numbered in Aan inverse direction, the 1 impressions for the In and Out times n.are read in ran inverse direction as may be Aclearly seen vr'from Fig. l.

'Ifclaimz l. A time recording device of the character described `compris-ing a stamping 'mechanism having y"printing type, and means for selectively impressing a portion .of said type upon a ktime card-inserted insaid mechanism; said stamping mechanismincluding-'a hammer for causing the impression fof "a portion of said type upon a card, a separatehammer yfforf'causing the impression of adifferent Aportion of said type on `the card., and means including'an electric circuit for selectively controllingthe operation of said hammers; said controlling -means including a plurality of -fslots-through which said card may be inserted `for conditioning said 'circuit for the operation of either of said hammers, an'electric switch in said `-circuit operable by the insertion ofthe card through one of said Vslots for conditioning 'said circuitifor the operation of one of said hammers, a separate electrical switch operable by theinsertionofisaid card through another of ksaid slots 'forconditioning the circuit to cause the operation 'of another of said hammers, and a single switch in Vsaid circuit operable by said card `upon the insertionthereof into said mechanism'through either 'ofthe slots for closing said circuittocause operation of the selected ham-mer.

"2. Atimeirecording device for recording starting 'and stopping times and the elapsed time therebetween; said deviceincluding a stamping mechanismhaving a strip of printing type, means for .retaining said strip continuously in timed movement in on'edirectiomthe type on said strip including a'firstiline :of time denominations reading .in .the .direction Aof said movement, .a second line `of time denominations parallel to the rst lineaand reading in an opposite direction, means for simultaneously stamping upon a card different portions of; type,;and means for separately stamping.up0n Said .card yother portions of said type forindicating starting time, stopping time, and the velapsedy time therebetween.

Y:3.4i time --recording device having `stamping mechanism including movable printing type, means forzimprinting portions -of said type upon a fsheet, aguide. means including a` plurality of lslots orlocating'said sheet, means operable when the said sheet is inserted in one of said slots for causing fa .'-portion oisaid type to be .imprinted upon the sheet, means operable when 4the said sheetfisfinsertedrin v:another of said slots :for scausing a different portion of said type to 'be imprinted on the sheet, and common stop means for positioning the sheet in said mechanism regardless of which slot said sheet is inserted through.

4. A time recording device comprising a mechanism having printing type, means for positioning a time card in said mechanism including a plurality of slots and a stop member, iirst stamping means operable for causing certain portions of said type to be imprinted upon said card when it is inserted into one of said slots, second stamping means operable for causing other portions of said type to be imprinted upon the card when it is inserted into another of saidv slots, an electric circuit in said device, a first electric switch operable upon the card being inserted into one of said slots for conditioning said circuit for the operation of the said iirst stamping means, a second electric switch operable upon the card being inserted into another of said slots for conditioning the circuit for the operation of the said second stamping means,- and a separate switch in series with said rst and second switches and operable upon the card being inserted into either of said slots for closing said circuit and causing the operation of the respective stamping means.

5. A time recording device comprising mechanism having lines of printing type in timed motion and including a first line of type for denoting elapsed time, an elapsed time pointer in fixed position relatively to said rst line of type, a second line of type representing starting and stopping times, a starting time stationary pointer associated with a portion of said second line of type, a stopping time stationary pointer associated with a diferent portion of said second line of type, means operable in an initial. operation of said mechanism for imprinting upon a card a portion of said first line of type which corresponds to the actual time of said initial operation and also imprinting upon said card a corresponding portion of said second line of type and the said starting time pointer to indicate upon the imprinted portion of the second line of type the time oi said initial stamping operation, and means operable in a second stamping operation of said mechanism for imprinting upon the card a corresponding different portion of said second line of type and the said stopping and elapsed time pointers to indicate the time of the second stamping operation and the elapsed time between the said initial and second operations.

6. A time recording device including mechanism having lines of printing type retained in motion by a time clock; the said type includin-g a iii-st line of units denoting elapsed time, a second line of units in reverse order to the rst line denoting starting and stopping times, means operable in an initial operation of said mechanism for imprinting upon a card a portion of said first line of type and a portion of said second line of type for imprintingupon the card the time of the said initial operation and providing a scale on said card for the computation of elapsed time, and means operable in a' second operation of said mechanism for imprinting a pointer adjacent to said scale and also imprinting upon the card a different portion of the second line of type for indicating the time of the said second printing operation and the elapsed time between the initial and second operations of the mechanism.

7. A time recording device comprising mechanism for recording elapsed time between a starting and stoppingI time, the said mechanism including jointly movable parallel lines of printing type consisting of a rst line of type for denoting elapsed time, a pointer in fixed position adjacent to a zero position on said rst line of type and moveable therewith, a second line of type for denoting the starting and stopping times, separate stationary pointers adjacent to separate portions of the said second line of type, and means for imprinting said stationary pointers adjacent to impressions of different portions of said second line of type for indicating upon a card the times of an initial and a second operation of said mechanism and for also imprinting the said moveable pointer adjacent to an impression of a portion of the said first line of type to indicate the elapsed time between the said initial and second operations of the mechanism.

8. A time recording device comprising a mechanism including a chain of printing type in movement with a clock mechanism and including a line of type having time denominations reading in the direction of movement of said chain, a line having similar denominations but reading in a direction opposite to that of the movement of said chain, means operable in an initial opera'- tion of said mechanism for imprinting portions of said lines of type upon a card to provide an elapsed time scale and an indication of the time of the said initial operation, and means operable during a second operation of said mechanism for imprinting a pointer opposite to the elapsed time scale on said card and a portion of the said second line of type to indicate the elapsed time between the initial and second operations and the time of the second operation.

9. A time recording device of the character described comprising a mechanism including a movable chain of printing type, a clock mechanism for moving said chain in one direction, said type including a rst line of time denominations having a zero point and reading in the direction of the movement of said chain, a second line of time denominations reading in a direction oppositeto thatof the said first line, an elapsed time indicating pointer opposite the said zero point and movable with the rst line, a stationary pointer located at one point opposite said second line of type, a separate stationary pointer located at a different point opposite the said second line of type and at a distance. from the first stationary pointer equal to the length of a series of time denominations on said line of type, means operable in an initial stamping operation of said mechanism for imprinting upon a card a portion of the first line of type, a portion of the second line of type with the stationary pointer adjacent thereto to indicate the actual time of the said initial stamping operation, and means operable in a second operation of said mechanism for imprinting the said elapsed time pointer upon said card in the position it occupies at the time of the second operation relatively to the imprinted portion of the said first line of type to indicate, upon the said imprinted portion the elapsed time between the said first and second operations and for also imprinting a portion of said second line of type together with its adjacent stationary pointer to indicate the stopping time on said card.

10. A time recording device comprising mechanism as set forth in claim 5 wherein the said elapsed time pointer is in iixed position adja- 2,4se,eso

cent to a zero position on the said rst line of Number type and movable therewith. 946,858 LA VERGNE H. WILLIAMS. 981,421 1,006,968 REFERENCES CITED 5 1,215,532

The following references are of record in the fil of thi atenta:

e s p 1,558,743 UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,582,333 Number Name Date 1 11752564 888,069 Dey May 19, 1908 10 Name Date McCabe Jan. 18, 1910 Hess Jan. 10, 1911 Meloney et a1 Oct. 24, 1911 Hitchcock et a1. Feb. 13, 1917 Wilson Apr. 15, 1919 Odell July 4, 1922 Merriman Oct. 27, 1925 Bryce Apr. 27, 1926 Love Apr. 1, 1930 

